1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a sliding grill fixing apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, cooking utensils such as gas ovens, electric ovens, etc. are configured so that a grill on which stuff to be cooked is placed is installed in a chamber to be heated. The grill is adapted to be taken into and out of the chamber of the cooking utensil with the cooking stuff placed thereon. Since the grill is typically used inside the cooking utensil, the grill is shaped like a net so as to enhance the efficiency of transferring heat to the stuff to be cooked. The net-shaped grill may be equipped with sliders on opposite sides thereof so as to slidably taken into and out of the chamber of the cooking utensil.
A conventional sliding grill is taken out by user. The user places cooking stuff on the sliding grill, pushes the sliding grill into a cooking utensil, fixes the sliding grill to the cooking utensil using fixtures, and closes a door of the cooking utensil to cook the cooking stuff. Here, the sliding grill is positioned according to a size of the cooking stuff, and is fixed by the fixtures. In this state, the cooking stuff can be cooked. In other words, the sliding grill has the fixtures positioned and fixed according to the size of the cooking stuff in a chamber of the cooking utensil.
Such fixtures are installed on opposite sliding sides of the sliding grill, and are inserted into recesses formed in the chamber of the cooking utensil, thereby fixing the sliding grill. When the sliding grill is taken inside, each fixture is rotated and inserted at a fixed position by the elastic force of an elastic member. When the sliding grill is taken outside, each fixture is rotated and then unfixed. The recesses formed in the cooking utensil are arranged such that the sliding grill can be positioned and fixed in a vertical direction. The fixtures installed on the opposite sides of the sliding grill are independently operated. When the sliding grill moves in a vertical direction, the fixtures are independently operated to release the sliding grill. Then, when the released sliding grill is inserted at the desired position, the fixtures are caught in the recesses disposed at the desired position by the elastic members without being separately manipulated, and are rotated and inserted by the elastic force of the elastic members. Consequently, when any one of the fixtures independently operated on the opposite sides of the cooking utensil on taking out the sliding grill is not operated, the fixture is not unfixed and thus the sliding grill cannot be released.
As the fixtures of the sliding grill must be unfixed by the user using both hands, it is difficult to manipulate the fixtures, which results in reducing the convenience of use.
Further, when the fixtures installed on the opposite sides of the sliding grill are manipulated, the force applied by each hand of the user is different. As such, a uniform force is not applied to the fixtures. In this way, when the fixtures are operated using different force, and particularly when one of the fixtures is operated with a relatively smaller force, the fixture is not unfixed. In contrast, when one of the fixtures is operated with a relatively greater force, the fixture is damaged or broken, which leads to reducing the usable lifetime of the fixture.